I notice your post is a week old, so you may have already made a decision...nevertheless, if it were me, I'd lose the boards you put the sealant on. Use them for something else (to defray cost)...fencing or trellising of ornamentals, whatever, as long as you keep them away from your source of food. Don't you have timber yards or sawmills there where you can buy oak boards? I bought rough-cut 2"X12", l6 ft. long oak boards in my area (Maryland-Virginia), for about $6 or $7 apiece, 10 years ago, that are nearly as solid as they were when purchased. Of course I wouldn't dream of going to Home Depot (or some such similar retailer) for oak boards, but we have lumber yards and sawmills in rural areas that will cut oak boards to your specifications at a reasonable price...and 2" means 2" at a sawmill, not 1 1/2". I happen to have capped the 2" oak boards with cheap 2X4's (pine) as added insurance against decay (and also to have a place to plant my rear end while working in the raised beds), and I have no problem with such beds lasting 15-20 years, or so. To each his/her own, but oak is abundant in my area, and probably outlasts pine 5 to 1, so I wouldn't think of using pine for raised beds. Also, I can't work in a raised bed that's more than 39-40" wide without climbing into it, so I limit all my beds to that width (and I'm 6'5"). I realize (and read in this forum) that people make much wider beds, which they walk around in, but one of the chief benefits of raised beds (in my mind) is to avoid tramping and compacting the soil. Again, to each his/her own, but I have raised beds that never have had a foot in them since they were built. So, my suggestion is to remove what you have and use it elsewhere (not around something you'll eat). Find reasonably priced rough-cut oak boards (they'll last so long you won't have to worry about "sealing" them), and make your beds an appropriate width (so you won't have to climb into them).

My allamanda have been blooming all year long for the last couple of years since I switched to only cutting back the tallest barnches at a time rather than the whole plant at once. Instead of giving the whole thing a severe cut back. I pick the longest branches (approximately 1/3 to 1/4th of the plants) and cut them back close to the base of the plants and sometimes even entirely. as far as watering goes they dont get as much as my roses. They actually make a good barometer of whether my grass really needs to be watered if they start to get wilty. Their roots run quite deep by now. They do really like fertilizers with a high middle number, but again I dont fertilize them as much as my roses. HTH Michelle

Maybe you got those looks because some people prefer a more matte finish in rooms that don't have water. I typically use eggshell in all rooms except bath, those get satin. I used to put satin in the kitchen, but when I switched over to BM I used eggshell and it wipes easily. Did you make a horrific mistake? Heck no. Lots of people out there like the look and finish of satin as well. Easily wipes off without being glaring. It's pretty much personal choice. (Actually, the opposite scenario would probably cause you more headaches: if you had gone with eggshell and your pooches are big droolers, you might have come to really regret an eggshell ;) If it works for your needs and you like it, it's all good!

The 'was it a mistake' part is obvious. Only time will tell if it survives, its not going to look good this year, that much is for sure. You will have to wait and see what comes up from the roots next year to know. Rule of thumb, never move a grass when its forming stalks or is blooming, do it when the plant's energy is focused on roots and leaves.